


I'd Prefer Not To

by oOoElvenGloryoOo



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 12:15:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19019731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oOoElvenGloryoOo/pseuds/oOoElvenGloryoOo
Summary: Merrill comes to Skyhold to meet the Dread Wolf in person.





	I'd Prefer Not To

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a slight AU/alternate thing where Solas is open about being Fen'harel and he and Lavellan are together and working together. Also, Merrill is with a male Hawke, and she's a cat mom to one of those weaning kittens she mentioned to Anders in 2. 
> 
> I just started playing Dragon Age 2 and I started thinking about how Solas would react to Merrill. I'd think he'd find her bothersome at first, but they'd grow to get along. And I think Merrill would be endlessly curious about him. 
> 
> Don't judge me too harshly if I got Merrill wrong, it's my first attempt at her character. I'm not sure if this is a one-off or if I'll expand upon it.

"No." That no had formed in his brain from the moment he'd heard that voice, ripe with naivete, echo in the halls of Skyhold that morning.

"Ohhhh, it's so big! And grand! Did your man give you a castle? Mine gave me a cat. Well, I found the cat, in the alienage. But he let me keep it." Merrill had arrived.

Now, in the present moment, as Ellana prattled on about a dinner, that no became manifest. "No. I will take my dinner here. You are welcome to join me and save yourself."

Ellana crossed her arms in frustration. "I happen to like Merrill. She's charming."

Solas cleared his throat and shuffled papers about on his desk. "She's exhausting. And she'll be all the worse once she knows."

"You've never met Merrill, Solas, how can you deem her exhausting after a few overheard words?" Ellana flopped onto the couch with a sigh. She didn't think a dinner invitation would turn into a battle.

"You don't know who I've met, vhenan. I know enough to know she's exhausting. Like that story about how I hate all things wise and kind. I'm either going to have to unravel history with someone who assumes me evil, or endure endless questions, neither of which I have the patience for." He looked her in the eye with confidence that the discussion was over.

Ellan gave it one last try. "There's frilly cakes?"

"I would prefer not to." His nose was already buried in a book, and Ellana knew she might as well give up.

"Fine. You win. Ass." She kissed the top of his head before she left. "Bring me cake, after!"

He'd thought that was the last of it. He'd enjoyed uninterrupted studying til well past the dinner hour. Just as he began to wonder if she'd heard the part about bringing cake, she appeared. He didn't trust the grin that spread across her face.

The dessert looked glorious, vanilla cake studded with brandy-soaked cherries, a thick layer of dark chocolate custard in between, and topped with generous lashings of whipped cream and candied walnuts.

She was definitely up to something. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, sinking his fork into the delicacy. "Or rather, why are you smiling like you've done something I won't approve of?"

"What, I can't bring you cake like you asked?" She pouted.

"Mmmhmmm. It is perfection, though, I will grant you that." He'd already finished half.

"So, I arranged for you to study with Sandal like you'd asked, tomorrow morning, and so I was thinking..." Ellana was interrupted by the door creaking open.

A voice hissed from the entryway "Is it time? You said to give you a few minutes, but the castle is deserted and cold and...."

Merrill. She'd brought Merrill. Let's bring the Dalish to look at the Dread Wolf, live and in person. The cake was just to sweeten him up, so to speak.

"Come in, come in" Ellana urged her to enter all the way.

She froze when she saw him. "Oh. Ah. Well, I didn't realize, but yes, that makes sense. You used to have hair."

He swallowed the last bite of cake. "Yes, how observant of you."

Merrill blathered " I'm sorry about what I told Hawke, I'm sure you're a lovely person, Ellana says you paint, and..." She looked up at the murals. "Well those are quite scary, aren't they? Would be nicer with flowers, maybe some happy little clouds..."

Ellana broke the rambling. "So, I take it you've met before, then?"

Merrill looked down uncomfortably. "Well, sort of, yes, in a dream. I thought he was going to eat me."

Solas did his best to look grim and fatalistic.

"You look just like Fenris when you make that face. Maybe it's the prefixes, Fen'harel, Fenris...."

Ellana's eyes were daggers. "Be. Nice." Solas glared right back.

Guiding the conversation, Ellana continued. "Merrill, it might interest you to read Solas' essays on ancient elven culture and history. In fact, maybe you can show her the library tomorrow. It would be good for you both." She pinched his elbow lightly to emphasize her point.

Solas did not yield. "I would prefer not to, vhenan."

Merrill squealed. "Ooooh, it's so romantic. Hawke doesn't call me that, he's not an elf. What's it like, being with a god? Not in that way, I mean, maybe also that way, but you can tell me that part later..."

"So tomorrow evening, the library. Good night, vhenan." Ellana guided Merrill out of the rotunda, but not before turning around to mouth "Ass" at him one more time.


End file.
